SB 40 updates New Hampshire’s safe boater education certificate law by allowing an online examination approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) to satisfy the course/testing requirement for certification. Under the bill, a person age 18 or older may complete the online exam if they attest that they are the person taking it, while those under 18, or anyone who prefers it if available, may take a proctored examination approved by the commissioner. The bill also keeps the existing classroom-course option and maintains the minimum 8-hour instruction requirement for classroom instruction.
The bill sets the passing score for the examination at 80 percent and directs the Department of Safety to adopt rules implementing the new process within 60 days of enactment. The substantive certification change takes effect January 1, 2026, while the rulemaking requirement takes effect 60 days after passage. In practical terms, the bill modernizes the boating education certification process by formally recognizing online testing as an acceptable pathway to certification, subject to state oversight and NASBLA standards.
Impact
SB 40 amends RSA 270-D:13, I(a), which governs eligibility for a safe boater education certificate, and adds a new rulemaking mandate to RSA 270-D:20 for the Department of Safety. It expands the acceptable methods for demonstrating boating education by incorporating NASBLA-approved online examinations and clarifies age-based testing options, while preserving the existing classroom-course framework. The bill primarily affects boaters seeking certification, the Department of Safety, and any approved course providers or testing administrators involved in boating safety education.
Sentiment
The available record suggests generally favorable or noncontroversial sentiment around the bill. There are no committee transcript excerpts or recorded votes indicating opposition, and the measure appears to have advanced as a technical modernization of boating education requirements rather than a major policy dispute. The bill’s structure, which preserves existing standards while adding an online option, suggests support for improving access and convenience without lowering the underlying safety threshold.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials, but the most likely areas of debate would be the use of an online, self-attested exam for adults versus a proctored exam for minors, and whether online testing adequately protects the integrity of boating safety certification. Another possible issue is the Department of Safety’s implementation burden, since the bill requires rulemaking within 60 days. However, the absence of transcripts or recorded dissent indicates that any such concerns were either minimal or not formally raised in the available record.